NPC deputy in space speaks for space industry

BEIJING, March 4 (Xinhua) -- When the deputies to the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China's national legislature, gathered in Beijing for the NPC annual session scheduled to open on Saturday, one deputy couldn't be there.

"As I am carrying out a Shenzhou-13 mission in China's space station, I can't attend this year's NPC annual session," astronaut Wang Yaping recently told a Xinhua reporter from the space station 400 km above Earth.

Wang and two other astronauts went into space onboard the Shenzhou-13 spaceship and entered the space station on Oct. 16, 2021, embarking on the six-month space mission.

The trio has been in orbit for more than 130 days, with Wang setting a record for the most days in space by a Chinese astronaut.

As a deputy to the 13th NPC, she often took part in research tours organized by the NPC. She also engaged in social activities such as open classes and space science popularization activities to fulfill her duty.

In her first space mission, Wang delivered a 40-minute open class, China's first live space lecture, in the Shenzhou-10 spaceship on June 20, 2013, to over 60 million schoolchildren nationwide.

Eight years later, she delivered another live space lecture in China's space station on Dec. 9, 2021.

"No matter when and where I am, I will do my best to speak for the space industry, speak for scientists, and attract more people to take part in the space endeavor of the country," said the deputy.